By Vera Wisdom-Bassey
Dr. Yinka Opeke is CEO of Smart Gas and CEO of Trade Expo Africa (TEXA), a Houston-based company focused on promoting bilateral trade relations, with over 15 years experience.
In this interview, she talked about a wide range of issues, including business, reducing poverty in Nigeria through her Trash for Gas campaign and mentoring the youths, among others.
What is your Trash for Gas campaign all about?
Well the truth is that by virtue of the fact that we’re in the gas sector – my company does cooking gas. And based on statistics, we are told that over 133 million Nigerians are multi dimensionally poor, meaning that they lack access to clean water and clean energy. It means they cook with charcoal and kerosene.
And for us in our company doing cooking gas, the mandate for us is that we should promote cleaner energy. By virtue of that, we give away free 3kg cylinders, 6kg cylinders to some communities.
We believe that if are able to take cylinder to almost every home in Nigeria, it will reduce the carbon footprint drastically. So before we give them the cylinder, we do advocacy. But after a while, we realised that when you go to certain places to give them the free cylinders, the environment is very dirty. Their kids are sick because of the dirty environment. They don’t practise prevention. And they don’t have the financial capacity to take their kids to hospitals or give the child good health care.
Then we said, instead of giving them these cylinders, let’s go to these communities and conduct on-site sanitation by asking them to clean up their environment before they get the cylinders. And they are always willing to do that. While we cannot continue to clean the environment all the time, we tell them the importance of cleanliness. And when we are leaving these communities, not only are we leaving them with the cylinders we have given them, we are also leaving them in much cleaner communities, by taking their trash for gas.
There is still a whole lot that needs to be done. Each community we go, we give the people free cylinders. We have 20 local governments in Lagos State for example. So we’re barely scratching the surface. On our own, we are doing our best. Now we’re having support from state governments and private organisations.
How challenging has it been?
Yes, it is challenging, because of the way Nigeria is. For a lot of people, their purchasing power is reducing every day. A lot of people are losing their income every day. Inflation is on the high. So someone that wants to give an amount doesn’t have that income anymore. It is really affecting us as it would affect any other person in Nigeria who just has limited purchasing power.
People donate to us out of goodwill. Now we have started writing letters to state governments, corporate organisations who believe in sustainability, who are trying to help. We are seeking engagements, sourcing for partnership and all that. Initially, it was on a low scale but now we have gone full scale, asking for partnerships from all over the country.
How sincere have your partners been?
The truth is that for them to even partner with you, it shows the high level of commitment, putting their money where their mouth is. People have different expenses. While they love smart gas, they are still going to feed their families, do what they need to do. So while we are able to get into certain communities, at the corporate level, at the federal or state level, the scale is much bigger because of the financial capacity. I would say that for those who have supported us, honestly, I believe they believe in the idea.
When you go to those places, there is a lot of satisfactions that comes to you, when you handle the simple best as we speak, that is where humanity comes in. When we started it, we didn’t see it that is going to be like this, but now it has become a big deal. We look forward to always going to different communities to put smiles on their faces. It makes you feel good.
We feel it when they pray for us in Yoruba. The truth is, I feel good. I have been to events where they are giving palliatives. There is no way you will not need the cylinder too. I can assure you that the average person will leave that bag of rice and go for the cylinder. That is the truth. Because how long will it take you to finish a bag of rice? A cylinder will last for 15 years, and a bag of rice is going for N50, 000. With that, you can get 2kg to 3kg cylinders with a burner and a gas in it. Because that person you’re giving that rice is still going to use firewood to cook it.
Anyway, why the food is important because of survival and all that, it will be nice for our leaders to look for other more sustainable and more value-adding palliative to give to families.
What other things do you do as an individual or as a company?
The truth is that the gas has opened a different opportunity sector that we never thought of, which is recycling. Recycling companies now decide to engage with us to see how they will take the trash and recycle them again. And you know recycling is a big thing worldwide right now. So the value chain for us is very fulfilling, because now we are able to create value out of the trash. One of the recycling companies was telling us that they use the sachet water nylon bags to make inter-locking stones that are used for construction at home. It’s nice that we’re able to get products for these communities, take their trash and still give to these people to do something about it.
Aside trash for gas, commercially we sell cylinders, retail cooking gas to hotels, restaurants and all of that. We have a mobile app that people can use and buy gas. Then we also do generator conversion from fuel to gas.
For me, when l am not working, I am at home raising a family and I have little engagements here and there. I talk on entrepreneurship and management, technology, business and all of that. Management generally. In between that, I love to stay at home and rest.
Why did you go into entrepreneurship after your youth service?
Yes. I grow up in a medium to upper class family. My parents were very comfortable, but at some point, I think my dad mismanaged some of his funds. And he started getting a bit cash-strapped. I was asking him, Oh dad, I want something, and he would say, oh Yinka, I don’t have. And that thing used to break my heart. Honestly my dad was that kind of a person that if you ask him for N100, he would give you. I don’t know how Hausa men behave, because most people do tell me ‘your dad behaves like an Hausa man.’ Because he was always giving, giving. So when that kind of a person now stops giving, you know somehow it does something to you. Now l am able to analyse it. At that time, l did not know what it was, and that was during my NYSC days.
So, I felt, how would dad feel, not being able to give me the kind of money he typically gives? I think that was what prompted me into going to buying and selling.
Yes, that was when my entrepreneurship journey really started. I will say that was what prompted it.
What did you start with?
O yes, that’s another conversation for another day. I think I started with bread and sardines. I served in Port Harcourt. I was not the one making the bread, but a roommate of mine. We were four corpers living in the same flats then. She used to make sandwiches. So when I woke up in the money, I would tell her to sell the bread to me and I would go and re-sell it in the office and that was how I started. If you see how those N40, N80 will add up! That was how I started.
For Nigerians dreaming to be like you, what would you say to them?
I will advise the youth to go for it, because as an entrepreneur, you have to have certain level of love. You have to be ready to do certain things no matter how hard. If you are looking at it the fastest way, you might not get it. There are principles that you have to build in order to get by. For me I would also advise them to get structure experiences. I don’t like when one is a fresh graduate or a graduate without corporate experience.
It’s not good. Because corporate experiences will teach you structure, hard work, how to prepare yourself for the world out there. Because now, you don’t have corporate experiences, on how to write letters, proposal, or you now come on your own, you want to do your business and you don’t even know where to start from.
So, it’s very important for them to have that, than being in a rush. Self development is very important. Informal education, where you learn being around people, or formal education, both of them are equally very important. In today’s Nigeria, you really have to be extraordinary to stand out. The grace of God is there. It’s very hard, but it’s doable. I want to encourage those who feel they want to be entrepreneurs to go for it. Take your failures, learn from them.
When you say, stand out, how would you describe it to an ordinary Nigerian?
One must have very firm principles. It’s very important. What do you believe in? What are your principles? I believe such a person must go after value before money and I believe the person must not be ashamed of being the only one standing – either you are the dumbest person or the smartest person in the room.
You must have courage to stand for what you believe in. The principle is very important. It guides you. It believes what you believe and stands by you. Somebody standing out must create leaders, and is an ongoing thing. You must make sure you’re working with a group of people who are dependable and those you can fall back on when the time comes. Integrity is important, so I think that really wraps it up. Empathy to stand out. I think that is what we are doing right now. Everybody is just harsh, hostile. The economy is telling on Nigeria. People are angry. So stay with your principles. Your principles will keep you grounded. Very important. I think these are the things that will help.
How would you describe yourself?
I am a very simply person. I think I am someone who has being fortunate to understand what a good life means. I have been able to understand the fact that my future is in my hand and I am intentional about what I want. I am also that person who is contented with what I have. So, there is honestly no peer pressure at all. I also know what is important to me in family. health, religion, work, good relationship no matter how the circle is. I don’t require validation from anybody.
I know that what I do is with good intentions. My friends say I am introverted naturally, but when it comes to business I am extroverted. It means, when in the business area, I like working and talking, but other than that, I like being at home.
Is that how you relax?
Yes, that is how I relax. I believe a lot more in self development. I like to know a bit about everything. I don’t think I am so hard on myself. Sometimes I am like, Yinka you’re doing okay. Go to sleep.
How are you coping with your many businesses?
I have only two main businesses now. In America, in Houston, Texas, I run an E-Commerce Company called Trade Expo Africa. The focus of that is to promote bilateral trade between US and Nigeria, promoting export out of Africa. Of course, we don’t neglect Nigeria because I am a Nigerian. So, I have that in the US, and have Smart Gas in Nigeria. Those are my two main companies now. So in between that, I am an author. I do speaking engagements as well. I am sure I have more than 15 registered companies. At the time, registering a business was just N15, 000 or N17, 000. I just kept registering and all that. But all of those experiences have made me who I am today.
How do you manage your business?
I try. That is why I leverage technology a lot. By virtue of my exposure, educational wise, being very smart, I take a lot of lessons from what l learn abroad and incorporate them into my business. There are a lot of things we leverage on abroad. Using softwares that will enable us manage our inventories and all of that.
For family, anytime I am at home, I try not to work. Thank God for technology.
Has there been any time you felt pain and wanted to quit?
Honestly, no. I may feel like that for a day, especially when I started as an entrepreneur. Now, I just go to the spa. When I receive correct massage, my brain will reset. I have had bad days, but to say I want to quit, I really don’t know whether I will quit. Generally, as a person, I don’t focus on things l cannot control. I try to find a way around the ones I can control.
What advice do you have for the youth?
I think the youth needs a lot of mentoring, if you ask me. They are looking for quick fixes. But coming from my type of home, there are some people I see on the social media, and I ask, do they have fathers and mothers? So, a mother is so busy with work and you don’t see the way your daughter is dressed when going out. So the family units should be looked into. For me, attitude is a big thing. The moral thing too. And let them understand, instead of showing your body, what are you really selling outside your body?
I am astonished with certain things I see online. Somebody will be wearing something and you will be seeing virtually everything about her. Even in the churches they also need to preach it. In the homes, parents need to talk about it. There is so much that we need to do – parents, aunties, religious leaders – in bringing these youths back. And our leaders – the government, the solution is multi-faceted because you take it from different angles.
How was growing up like?
I think I had a decent upbringing, and it was a normal one. My parents were both academicians. My dad was a doctor while my mum was a Prof. They believed so much in education and they said the minimum degree you must have is Masters, and they stuck to that.
I don’t think while growing up I lacked anything. My dad travelled a lot because he was working with the United Nations. I think it was a just a decent thing growing up and all that.
What do you say to Nigerians in these challenging times?
To majority of Nigerians, I would say, I empathise with them. I love to say that we should just hang in there, hoping that it will not get so bad. People should reach out for help and also give out. Don’t say you don’t have and will not give. Just know that no matter where you are you can still give. There is a way the world, life will reciprocate it, and you will find help somehow. I am praying that there are better days ahead.